| Author | Message | ||
| Chyna |
hi, it's me Chyna. as everyone should know by now, I'm gearing up to talk to my former sweetheart (traditional SDA guy). I know that there are official stories posted on the homepage, but I would feel tremendously blessed if everyone could just share a blurb or so about why and how they got out of the SDA church. I personally would like the read them, and I'd also like my ex-b/f to read them, too. livin' in grace, Chyna | ||
| Colleentinker |
Chyna, in addition to the responses you'll get on this thread, why don't you print out a few of the stories from our stories page and share them with your ex-boyfriend? Some of them are really detailed and personal, and there have been many positive responses to several of them. I know several people have printed out stories to share with people. A repeated theme we hear is that stories are the most powerful testimonies to truth. Colleen | ||
| Loneviking |
Well, I don't know how qualified I am to respond as I'm really not out. Since my wife is the church clerk, I would find it to be just too embarrasing for her to ask the church to 'disfellowhip' me--as that was the only way to get out until the GC conference last month. Anyway, what got me far away from SDA beliefs started with diet. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the heavy emphasis on diet and health reform was not a Biblical mandate. I finally figured out that the reason why was because of the New Covenant. SDA's don't truly recognize the covenant as 'new'. Basically, they stick with most of the Mosaic covenant and mix in some words about grace and call this mish-mash new. The final straw was Hebrews 4 which pretty much demolishes the idea of the Sabbath as a specific day. Instead, there is a real New Covenant and the Sabbath is not a specific day, but a specific condition--resting from one's own work. When we do that, we have entered the rest Christ came to offer. At that point, since I was a hybrid SDA/Church of Christ anyway, I pretty much stopped attending the SDA church and go on Sundays to the local CofC. Anyway, I hoped this helped.............. | ||
| Susan |
Hi Chyna, I've been out for over 10 yrs., and I've been in mainstream Christian churches for about 8yrs. Why I got out? SDA doctrines contradict the bible. Once I started to see this, I knew I could not belong. At first it enraged me that I could be so mislead. I had a great deal of anger and resentment that so many generations of my family had "bought-in" to this deception. Now I feel genuinely sorry for them and I'm eternally grateful that I have a savior that called me out of darkness! Also, the evidence against EGW as a true prophet of God was overwhelming for me. I concluded, that if she was a false prophet on only ONE account, then all of her teachings were up for question. And as I started to peel away doctrine by doctrine, they could not hold up to the bible. Each teaching blatantly contradicted scripture. How I got out? My situation is different from most. I won't go into all the details here. But I will say it was very easy in my circumstance. I wasn't involved in a church community at the time and I lived far away from all my family. I find it so amazing that SDA families, (I've heard this from others, not just in my own situation) would rather have their members not going to church at all, rather than see them in a non-SDA church. Think about this folks! How many times have you heard a little old Methodist grandma say, " you know, I've been praying for my unsaved grandson and I'm so devastated because he joined the Baptist church?" It generally doesn't happen. Most Christians I know are thrilled, when an unsaved relative joins any bible-believing church. For me, this is just another bit of evidence that points to the cultic dimension of Adventism. Chyna, I can't emphasize the need for prayer enough! You are going into spriritual warfare. Your friend (and any other person involved in a cultic church or false religion) can only see through the veil of deception that Satan has put up. His understanding of scripture will always be fuzzy because of the "EGW glasses" he wears. That's why prayer is SOOO important. Not just your's, but he must pray as well, that his eyes are open to the wisdom of God as he studies scripture. You are a valuable asset to the kingdom Chyna! Praying that God's protection will be over you and that you might be a living testimony, to those around you, of the assurance that can only be found in Jesus Christ alone. Your sister in Christ, Susan | ||
| Chyna |
thanks LoneViking, and Susan for sharing :) i just talked to him last night and he told me that he never told me about his adventist doctrine because he just assumed it was so biblical that of course I'd start believing in it once he started sharing it with me --- b/c I wanted to know why he dated me if he could only marry someone adventist. i have to laugh, of course, because I thought the exact same way. we moved the date to Friday to meet. pray I won't be sad. Chyna | ||
| Joni |
Chyna, You are precious. We all will be praying for you. I left because I sinned. I isolated myself for a few years. I thought that If I could sin, I could not be around anyone. I had no place to go. I didn't think God loved me anymore and I didn't care. Then..... an old friend of mine who had a tradgey called us to come help her daughter. It was too late, by the time my husband got there she had passed away. 3years old. He went with them to the ER, and helped take care of them. She called me a few months later to invite me to a Precept Bible Study, one on the Names of God. I went. She is a Lutheren. She is a wonderful Christian. We studied Genesis 1 and 2 and many more inductive Bible Studies. At first I was hard and cold. And I thought "I know the truth why is someone else teaching me???" I should be teaching. Slowly my heart softened. I realized that God came to save sinners. I was one, and He sent His Son for me. I was so taken back. So struck down on my face. Little by little I began to understand the Gospel message. I began to live again. Then I became angry. I thought I was doing what I was suppose to do, in the Adventist Church and I knew the truth. When I fell, I had no where to turn because I did not understand Grace. I was angry at the SDA Church for not teaching, truly teaching about Christ and Grace and Salvation. Any way.... Since studying my Bible in a new light I gained assurance of Salvation and saw that Adventism was not very Bibical. Now I teach Bible Studies and love it. I love to share what Christ has done in my life. I am no longer angry but filled with love for others. Real love... It's amazing and it's Him!!. Now when I fail and fall I know who to talk to and I know I am still loved and accepted by my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Joni | ||
| Billthompson |
My story is this. It took me 6 years to transition out of the SDA church. The last two years I was attending the SDA church on Saturday and a Baptist church on Sunday. I first understood, or caught a glimpse at least, of Grace (the Gospel, salvation by grace and not works, Eph. 2:8,9) during my senior year in an SDA Academy. Morris Venden was speaking at a small retreat for the officers of the senior class. His messages were all on grace and how we do not earn salvation. This was revolutionary thinking for me. In the days, months and years that followed I would share this "good news" with SDA friends only to find that this usually started arguments rather than joyful acceptance. I was warned by SDA teachers and a pastor not to follow this "grace teaching", etc. This made me realize the SDA church had a problem with this most basic of all Christian doctrines, the only doctrine which really matters where salvation is concerned. The Sabbath kept me in the SDA church longer than I would have otherwise stayed. As my understanding of salvation by grace grew and my assurance of salvation became firm, I finally saw the Sabbath in a different light. Even though I was not completely clear on the "day of the week", I knew for sure that this was not the central theme of a relationship with Christ, it should not be the most important doctrine for a Christian, it is not a salvation issue. I grew from judging all churches by their position on the Sabbath (and a few other SDA distinctives) to looking to see what a church taught about salvation. This became the "lithmus test" for me...where do they stand on salvation by grace and not by works (the Gospel message) and do they teach this clearly and consistantly. During the two years where I attended both churches, it became painfully clear that the church of my youth was not teaching the Gospel clearly and consistantly, if at all. I finally chose the Gospel over the Sabbath. I asked myself, "Do I support a church which like the Jews of old (pharisees included) kept the 7th day holy, or do I lend my support to a church that clearly and consistantly preaches the truth about salvation?" The choice was clear. That was 21 years ago. My understanding of the sabbath as a mere shadow of what I now have in Christ has grown clearer, my love for gospel preaching and teaching has grown stronger and I now have a heart for lost souls. I never had a message for truly lost people during my SDA years. I preferred to debate the sabbath or state of the dead as a type of "assurance" that I was part of more correct group for the "last days". That was a pitiful substitute for the assurance of salvation which the Lord has given me now. I can now take the focus off of myself and reach out to others with the good news. My walk with the Lord is stronger now than it has ever been. For me there truly was life after SDAism, despite what I'd been told. Not only life, abundant life, eternal life...I could never go back to those old days of fear and doubt. A Sinner Saved By Grace Alone, Bill Thompson | ||
| Chyna |
i feel really really really blessed by all of your stories. i know my former sweetheart will be too :). c'mon, i know there are more of you guys :) out there. you can write a paragraph :) a long sentence :) :). love, Chyna | ||
| Rayna |
Chyna, I just wanted to let you know that I have been reading all the post and your comments. The reason I left the SDA Church was because I learned that I was a sinner and could not be perfect or sinless in this life, and this is what they teach-sinless perfection in this life, especially for those of the last generation on earth. It almost drove me to desperation. Then I learned of the righeousness of Jesus being imputed to me for my entire life, that I was forgiven of all my sins, and that I had eternal life when I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. I rest now in this truth. I choose to live for Jesus in this world but that does not make me righteous before God now or ever. I am only saved by God's mercy in the gift of His son Jesus to me. We are all condemned sinners and must trust in God's promise of forgiveness, righeousness imputed to us, and eternal life given to us when we accept Jesus. It is a wonderful message to me. You know I think the only ones that understand this message are the sinful. The righteous ones have no need of Jesus. They talk about their own lifes and righteousnes that is still sinful in Gods sight. Jesus came to save sinners and we will always be in this life because of our sinful nature inherited from Adam. I can see my sinfulness even though I am not committing any known sin, because sin extends to the thoughts and intents of the heart. One must be sinless in thought word and deed one hundred percent of the time and no man can do that in this life time. We are only saved because God had mercy on us pitiful condemned sinners and gave us His son. Jesus is the perfect reflection of God, and shows us that God truly is love,merciful and kind and just. | ||
| Sherry2 |
Chyna, up until 2 months ago, I didn't even understand that all my sins were cleansed at the cross - I had no concept of this at all. I thought that when I came to Christ, they were covered up to that date, and that if I sinned again, they all went back on record again. And that I had to be sure to confess them all and not miss one (I often prayed for God to pleeease forgive those I didn't remember). I had no idea till I actually made the step away from the church, that all my sins were taken to the cross! Oh man! I just cried and cried when I read Hebrews. Thank you so much Jesus! It gives me freedom now to move forward into His likeness, not fearing every time I messed up. Ofcourse I am deeply saddened when I do something ungodly (like lose my temper - this is a sin issue I want to gain victory over - this time by the Power of the Lamb, and His blood), and I confess it, but the difference is I still know I'm secure in Him and salvation, and I know that it was already atoned for on Calvary's cross, and I get back up in joy and gratitude to move forward by His grace. Sharing it is a wonderful thing too. Just writing this, fills my heart with thankfulness again to Him! God bless you, Chyna. | ||
| Bmorgan |
Chyna, I already told about my journey to becoming a woman of grace, but let me answer your pertinent question. "What was it that made you come out?" I prefer to say, how was I lovingly rescued? Left to myself, I don't think I could have "come out" Even though I was searching for clarity about the Truth adventist claim to have, it was elusive to me. I became more and more confused. Jesus was NOT real, Why? My conclusion: Their "gospel message" seemed very theoritical, impractical, and irrelevant. I was not equipped; I could neither understand nor explain the "gospel message" simply. I felt stagnated spiritually, but observed a genuine christlikeness, joy and sweetness in my non judgemental christian friends. (They were non sabbath keeping, jewelry wearing, meat eating and humble folks.huh?)- My yearning to know Christ personally, was compounded by the arrogance and intolerance of fellow sda friends who told me, my questioning about the revelancy of the sda doctrines in my life was "attacking" teachings that were dear to them. Inspite of that, any logical, intellectual and theological arguements about the ills and fallacies of Sda were not affecting me deeply. I was well innoculated against TRUTH. My body left the fellowship before my mind was able to reevaluate the teachings. Then I able to SEE the deception I was immersed for over twenty five years. My "rescue" came through fire. I experienced one too many church fight, abuse of power and cruelty inflicted on and against members. To my dismay, these types of behaviors were accepted, tolerated and excused. The last dastardly act committed at my church, (though I felt sad) broke the shackles that kept me chained inside the sda organization that limited my view of a personal God in my life. When I threw off the restraints of sda teachings, and began reading the word, I felt sudden relief and began to experience a joy, peace and excitment about and in Christ that was never present before. At first I was angry, about the the deep deception. However, today, I praise God for taking me out! I stand accused! I am unrepentantly joyful, and a committed follower of Christ Alone. BMorgan | ||
| Maryann |
Hi BMorgan, You are not getting ignored;-)) I'm just swamped. Your post's are a blessing to many, I'm sure. Keep it up! I always like seeing your name up there! Maryann | ||
| Chyna |
thank you so much for sharing your stories with me and everyone else on the board. i did get to print out most of the stories, and I will direct him to read the rest of them soon. I spent the weekend talking to my former sweetheart. *sigh* I am grieving, but I know it is a way to healing. we talked quite a bit about the doctrines that separated us so well. so a bit of prayer and a bit of praise for this weekend. one marvellous thing God planned for us was a presentation at Loma Linda by Desmond Ford about IJ not being biblical. I got to see and hear Dr. Raymond Cottrell (he's 89!) talk about how he and Desmond Ford had reached the same conclusion that IJ is not in the bible. and they passed out papers that showed changes in the Adventist church in terms of beliefs. God was really at work. I hadn't even known about Desmond Ford coming, my former boyfriend was the one who in fact suggested we go. I looked around a bit, wondering if there were any FAF'ers *heehee* around. it was a heart wrenching goodbye. while we studied the Bible more and more, it quickly became apparent the divide that separated us. To him, Sabbath is a delight given by God to man, to me, Sabbath is no longer necessary and we now practice the Lord's Day, a day to celebrate our salvation. To him, God would be unjust if hell were eternal, to me, hell has always been eternal and God is just that is His nature also, and we should define what is just by God who is pure and Holy. To him, salvation can be lost if you took it and then choose to reject it. To me, I am assured then even when I am faithless, God is faithful because He cannot deny His nature (II Tim 3:14? or 13). To him Jesus is Michael and from it he takes reassurance that Jesus is his protector. To me, they are two different entities. at the end he genuinely asked me what i would think if a "national Sunday law" were passed, would I then become Adventist? of course that was the clincher of it all. I asked him if any parts of Adventism doctrine were shaken would he leave? he replied only if the church demanded that he takes Ellen G. White on par with the Bible. when he asked the sunday law question, I think I saw how deeply he was into Adventism. while I praise God that he knows he is saved and is justified by faith, i still know that God will have to work in his heart for change to occur. while i am still full of sorrow for our inability to be together, you all fill me with such hope. my sister pointed out to me my primary concern should be his relationship with God rather than his relationship with me. I guess I'm learning how love really works. Love is unselfish. Beloved of Christ, Chyna |
